truLOCAL Holiday Traditions

A Very truLOCAL Christmas

Here at truLOCAL, we take the holiday season VERY seriously. Our stockings are hung by the freezers with care, Christmas music is on full blast, our desks are decked out, and of course we can’t forget the mandatory ugly sweater party. The holidays don’t stop at the office - we all have our own favourite traditions at home, including our must-have holiday dishes! Get to know more about the team behind truLOCAL and what holiday activities we look forward to every year below.

Marc

What is your favourite holiday tradition? 

Personally, my favorite Christmas tradition is watching the Grinch with my mom. Not sure what it is about the original Grinch cartoon, but it’s something I look forward to each year around Christmas….That, and writing out thousands of Christmas cards for our customers!

Given that we’re all about food here at truLOCAL, what is your favourite holiday dish? 

My favorite dish never changes…even during the holidays. Ground beef is still my hands down favourite….I just add a little holiday flare by listening to Christmas Classics playlist on Spotify.

What is a *must-have* item in your box this season?  

Easy…If you haven’t checked out the new marinated additions to the truLOCAL lineup, treat yourself and check them out. My personal “must-have” would have to be the roasted garlic and pepper marinated chicken breast.

Greg

What is your favourite holiday tradition? 

My favourite Holiday tradition is going back home and seeing all my family. Everyone travels from around Ontario back to Ottawa to see one another, even if it is just for a day or two.

Given that we’re all about food here at truLOCAL, what is your favourite holiday dish? 

My favourite meal (other than turkey) is HAM! I love a delicious holiday ham and some garlic mashed potatoes with gravy… YUMMY.

What is a *must-have* item in your box this season?  

A must-have for me over the Holiday season is our amazing pork bacon or turkey bacon. It is great to share with the family when we have our Christmas Day breakfast!

Irma

What is your favourite holiday tradition? 

My favourite holiday tradition is annual Secret Santa pot-luck with my 6 best friends— we have all been friends since we were twelve, and it’s always nice to do something special together each year. The gifts are usually something small, and we put all of the gifts in the same gift bags, and then we all have to accurately guess who got us before we can open up our gift. I usually try and force everybody to wear festive sweaters, but some are easier to convince than others ;)

Given that we’re all about food here at truLOCAL, what is your favourite holiday dish?

Bacon wrapped dates! You can’t go wrong with bacon wrapped anything ;)

https://pinchofyum.com/bacon-wrapped-dates-with-goat-cheese

What is a *must-have* item in your box this season?  

I’m definitely excited for the addition of scallops!! Just in time for Christmas!

Jenn

What is your favourite holiday tradition? 

I LOVE the holidays – my favourite holiday tradition is decorating the tree with the family! Each year, we go to a local farm to pick out a tree then come home to watch holiday movies, enjoy some holiday treats and decorate the tree together. 

Given that we’re all about food here at truLOCAL, what is your favourite holiday dish? 

BREAKFAST! For as long as I can remember, we have had the same Christmas Morning Casserole each year on Christmas Day. Made with ham, bacon or sausage, bread, cheese and topped with cornflakes, this recipe is so easy and perfect to prepare in advance. Come Christmas morning, just pop it in the oven while you open gifts and you’re good to go! There are so many variations of this dish, that each year it’s never the same but it’s always the perfect Christmas breakfast.

https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/christmas-morning-wife-saver/

What is a *must-have* item in your box this season?  

A roast – for when everyone’s sick of Turkey! 

Alen

What is your favourite holiday tradition?

My favourite holiday tradition is my annual secret Santa with my group of best friends. We’ve been doing this for 7 years going on 8 and I look forward to it every year!

Given that we’re all about food here at truLOCAL, what is your favourite holiday dish?

My favourite holiday dish has to be my mom’s cabbage rolls! I think this is by far my favourite just because I grew up eating cabbage rolls during the winter season and there is no better chef out there than my mom. The mixture of textures and flavour profiles is amazing and is a must try. The levels get elevated to a whole other level when truLOCAL ground meats are used :)

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18863/sarma-stuffed-cabbage/

What is a *must-have* item in your box this season?  

I think with the holiday season you can’t go wrong with a delicious roast! I personally prefer the pork shoulder roasts because one of my favourite things about the holidays is eating a large dinner with your loved ones and there aren’t many large meat cuts that can beat pulled pork.

Trish

What is your favourite holiday tradition?

My favourite tradition is our annual family Euchre tournament, after we open gifts! We celebrate on the 24th – so we have dinner, then gifts, then we play cards, and it’s always a lot of fun!

Given that we’re all about food here at truLOCAL, what is your favourite holiday dish? 

My favourite holiday dish isn’t a “traditional” holiday dish – but it’s tradition in my family! My mom makes her signature meaty lasagna every year for Christmas dinner, and we all look forward to it every single year. Layers and layers of gooey cheese, soft noodles, and, of course, truLOCAL ground beef – what could get better than that?!

What is a *must-have* item in your box this season?  

Bone in, skin on chicken thighs! I love dark meat, and I love the crispy skin – they make for delicious winter meals! 

Mitch

What is your favourite holiday tradition?

My favourite holiday tradition is waking up on Boxing Day and getting together with family for our annual game of road hockey. I’d be lying if I said we didn’t keep score….we’re competitive…things get heated! But it’s all for laughs after we rally back inside for some holiday food and drinks.

Given that we’re all about food here at truLOCAL, what is your favourite holiday dish?

This has been something I’ve had for brunch on Christmas morning for as long as I can remember. My family calls them ‘Party Potatoes’. Hashed browns, mixed with cheese, sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, butter and some diced ham.…bake it to perfection…. And mmm, I’m telling you it’s worth the calories!

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229370/cheesy-ham-potato-bake/

What is a *must-have* item in your box this season?  

Any of our truLOCAL roasts are a must-have in your box this season with my personal preference being the sirloin tip roast. Nothing beats coming in from the cold into a warm house filled with the scent of a juicy roast cooking in the slow cooker. 

Courtney

What is your favourite holiday tradition?

With two young kids at home, it’s so easy to feel the Christmas magic this time of year! My favourite tradition is decorating our Christmas tree with the family. We cut down the tree during the day, and then spend the night decorating it, eating all of our favourite snacks and watching a Christmas movie.

Given that we’re all about food here at truLOCAL, what is your favourite holiday dish?

We always make something a little special for Christmas morning. While the kids insist on candy cane shaped pancakes, my request is always eggs benedict - a Christmas classic in our household. Tastes even better when we add on the old fashioned ham… yummmm! https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/eggs_benedict/

What is a *must-have* item in your box this season?  

I find that it’s turkey overload during the holiday season, so I always make sure to have extra wild caught salmon in my box. My favourite recipe is to top it off with cilantro, garlic, limes and red onion and bake it in the oven. It’s SO flavourful!

What are your favourite Christmas traditions? We want to know! Let us know on Facebook or tag us on Instagram, we’d love to hear from you!

Posted on September 22nd, 2023